50 Responses

"Le sigh... In future, I'm going to be increasingly inclined to be unsympathetic when people bitch about acts giving Auckland a swerve."

Please don't say that, Craig. This Wellingtonian goes up to AK often for gigs - you guys still get the most shows and I really like Auckland.If they start avoiding Auckland then they may well avoid the whole country..

If bands don't tour Auckland then we're off to Aussie to see some shows and that would be a pisser - I love the way that the whole Queen St/Vulcan lane area is so alive these days with good food and bars. I remember the empty concrete canyons that downtown used to be.

Could the whole Police anti vibe be due more to the old lyrics"That's the sound of the policeOfficer,officerOverseer,overseer.."

They weren't too keen on BodyCount's gig due to the"copkiller" track for similar reasons, if memory serves

You know, before they built the Cloud, maybe they should have said, “Oh, by the way, hip hop fans won’t have to chip in for the cost of this place, since you guys won’t be allowed to use it”.

It’s actually turning out to be a hard venue for anyone to use for a gig. There are toilets, but no tills or bar facilities – they have to be brought in every time, and a special liquor licence has to be obtained first. Then there’s a 10.30pm curfew and the certainty of noise control complaints, because it doesn’t have walls so much as a membrane.

It’s been used a handful of times as a daytime conference venue since the RWC, but mostly it takes up space.

After managing and working in bars in the CBD for the last few years I would say that many of the most troublesome and violent nights are those when "a certain group within society" goes out to watch rugby and avail themselves of the "many licensed outlets in CBD" afterwards, often causing "problems for the community."

I love the way that the whole Queen St/Vulcan lane area is so alive these days with good food and bars. I remember the empty concrete canyons that downtown used to be.

I've spent part of the weekend hosting Australian visitors who noticed that too - and remarked on the way our different cultures respected one another. Kept them away from this news about our Police still being stuck in the past. Wish I'd been at the museum for that talk.

I agree with Joshua that the rugby match meathead association with trouble is certainly far stronger. Let's see cops profile men with scarves.

I now have some more of the bizarre correspondence between Inspector Davison and the promoters.

An email in which the promoter addresses the lateness question:

Now when he said the lateness of application…I was shocked as we submitted a while ago, then sat with council saying yes approved at compliance meeting with the Venue staff, my Security team, my bar manager and my business partners. The council apparently said it got lost for a week….

And a response from Davison to Greer Flynn, who was involved with the show:

Good morning Greer.

As I indicated in my telephone conversation with you this morning.

Police will not alter their stance in regards to your liquor licence application.

Had the Police been involved with your event from the outset, then this matter would have been better addressed.

I can say here and now, it would still be most unlikely that Police would have agreed to the granting of a special licence even had we been at that meeting given the nature/location of the event.

We are – or should be – long past the time when police and petty officials get to tell us what culture we’re allowed. Or are we resigned to a future where facilities constructed and run with OUR money can only be used subject to a musical sniff test from a policeman?

Who, of course, headlined the only other entertainment event to be held at The Cloud since the RWC – the New Zealand Beer Festival.

As this blog notes, the 2011 NZBF in Auckland “was chockful of bogans setting out to get munted.” This didn’t appear to be a barrier to a licence in 2012 – and happily, the 2012 festival seems to have gone quite smoothly.

On the other hand:

The Marlborough Wine Festival provided a stark contrast. Here’s the bare facts:- 42 people were arrested- 9 people treated for cuts from bottles and glasses- 5 people were taken to hospital for treatment- 9 people were treated for over-consumption of alcoholI have received a photo of one lady’s injuries sustained from a bottling, but, due to its graphic nature, I didn’t want to post it here.

On reflection, I really shouldn't have. I've had off the record communications from folks who've said they had perfectly amiable relations with both the Police and Councils (and constructive engagement when problems do arise) -- so my snark isn't really just to folks who don't actually think a live music scene and street life is a "social problem".

But quite seriously, if I was a promoter thinking about bringing a hip-hop act to New Zealand I'd be running a serious cost-benefit analysis on any future dealings with Inspector Davison. Which, I guess, suits him fine. I'm not so sure.

But quite seriously, if I was a promoter thinking about bringing a hip-hop act to New Zealand I’d be running a serious cost-benefit analysis on any future dealings with Inspector Davison. Which, I guess, suits him fine. I’m not so sure.

Fortunately, it's only going to be an issue where a special licence is required. But yeah -- I don't think I'd be staking my livelihood on a show at The Cloud after this.

The irony of course is that Davison caused the show to be moved to a less safe/suitable venue in a known trouble spot.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10785180Organisers were forced to close the bar early at an 80s-themed concert at one of Auckland's top wineries because revellers reliving their youth were "staggering around" drunk. One punter described it as chaos. "There wasn't real trouble ... [but] the place was filled with people in their 40s and 50s staggering around and trying to relive their youth. It wasn't pretty. When they closed the bar, it was like a braying mob, angry that they couldn't get another drink. It looked like it was going to get nasty, but fortunately it seemed to calm down without any serious problems."

so, The Cloud was built with nearly $10m of public money, will be there for at least ten years (according to Michael Barnett), and is only good for conferences and private events? Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?

We are – or should be – long past the time when police and petty officials get to tell us what culture we’re allowed. Or are we resigned to a future where facilities constructed and run with OUR money can only be used subject to a musical sniff test from a policeman?

The more I read about the decision, the more I think it stinks, frankly. Davison's response seems massively counterproductive and prejudicial. On a happier note, that's some really enjoyable footage, Russell.: bloody fantastic support lineup, almost be worth it for catching those acts, to say nothing of the headliner.

I really should drag out my copy of By All Means Necessary. A bloody striking record, not least because it seems to be an honest attempt to address the issue of violence in rap from both sides of the coin, and find the right sonic backdrop to match it.